Coles Elsternwick reopens, provides 233 jobs and largest kosher range in Australia

Coles Elsternwick unveiled its new supermarket with a grand opening event this morning (Sunday, October 27).

The supermarket has opened after closing for a two-year redevelopment and is now twice the size of the previous store.

The new store has created 233 new jobs, which Coles chief financial officer Leah Weckert said represents a significant economic investment in the Elsternwick Village shopping precinct.

The Glen Huntly Rd supermarket offers the biggest range of kosher foods in the country including kosher chicken, a kosher in-store bakery, kosher deli foods and an expanded range of hot fleishig ready-to-eat meals.

The store also offers a huge range of international foods, an in-store bakery, a traditional meat counter with a butcher on hand, a gourmet deli with self-serve olive bar, and an expanded cheese selection.

Daniel Eustace, president of the Elsternwick Mainstreet Committee, said the re-opening of Coles was highly anticipated by local traders and business owners.

“There has been a keen interest from the Elsternwick Village traders association in the re-opening of Coles,” he said.

“The store will definitely have a positive impact on the local area and allow the shopping precinct to continue to thrive.”

David Southwick MP, state member for Caulfield, said Coles supermarket had always been “a key part of the vibrant Elsternwick shopping precinct” and local residents, traders and visitors welcomed its reopening.

“Not only does a supermarket like this provide jobs… but it does a lot for the precinct – the shopping strip along here,” Mr Southwick said at the store’s grand opening.

“The supermarkets are really the anchor that brings a lot of the community together.

“It is really strip shopping that is so important to many communities and many neighbourhoods. We need to ensure we have vibrant shopping strips and to do that we need healthy, strong supermarkets that bring that all together.”

Coles Elsternwick store manager John Siriopoulos, who has seen the store right through the redevelopment, said he was excited to provide the community with a new and convenient shopping hub.

“We’ve worked hard to tailor our range to meet the needs of the local community with convenient food options for customers on the go and our biggest range of kosher foods of any store in Australia,” he said.

“We think our customers are going to love our new store and we’ve done everything we can to make sure it was worth the wait.”

More than 1000 tradespeople were involved in the construction of the new Coles store and adjoining development, which includes 173 residential apartments and more than 200 undercover car parks.

Coles Elsternwick, located at 467 Glen Huntly Rd, will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.